Sep 25 Club Profile: J Street U

Noam Yossefy was kind enough to talk to The Skidmore News about being the President of J Street U's Skidmore chapter.

J Street U at Skidmore is a student-led advocacy club that organizes school-wide educational discussions, leadership workshops and supports a two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Nearly two years ago, a handful of (predominantly Jewish) students realized that there was not a proper forum for discussing the ongoing conflict and addressing its emotional impact on Skidmore students.

I am the co-founder and president of J Street U at Skidmore this year, but the club is always looking for new board members interested in advocating for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

J Street U is still a new club at Skidmore, but our ultimate goal is to serve the campus as a reliable source of information regarding the conflict. We've collaborated with several clubs, including Hillel, Hayat, Interfaith Council, and International Student Union, and have been sponsored by the Government and International Affairs departments and the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life. Although the organization is mainly directed towards American Jews, it is our goal that the club will attract a more diverse pool of students who want to discuss current events or conduct informal debates and discussions.

Although we are a young club, we've helped bring speakers and expert panels from the region to the Skidmore campus and have held student and professor-led educational programs about the logistical aspects of the two-state solution and Secretary Kerry's 9-month plan. This semester, we are presenting the Skidmore community with excellent resources, including a debrief of this summer's unfortunate events and first-hand accounts from activists on both sides.

To hear more about our upcoming events or get involved, check out J Street at Skidmore on Facebook or e-mail nyossefy@skidmore.edu.

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